Odalisque with Slave (1842) by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Odalisque with Slave - Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres - 1842

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Artwork Information

TitleOdalisque with Slave
ArtistJean Auguste Dominique Ingres
Date1842
Mediumoil,canvas
Dimensions105 x 76 cm
Art MovementNeoclassicism,Orientalism
Current LocationWalters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD, US

About Odalisque with Slave

“Odalisque with Slave,” completed in 1842, is a work by the renowned artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, quintessentially representative of the Neoclassical and Orientalist art movements. The oil on canvas measuring 105 by 76 cm is currently housed in the Walters Art Museum located in Baltimore, MD, USA. This exquisite portrait piece is notable for its rich detailing and historical thematics.

The artwork displays a lavish oriental chamber with two figures taking center stage. In the foreground, there is a reclining nude woman, an odalisque, whose posture is both relaxed and sensuously curved, embodying the Orientalist fascination with the exoticism and perceived indulgence of the eastern harems. Her fair skin contrasts with the vibrant blue of the silk draped around her, and she seems ensconced in the luxurious comforts of her surroundings, which includes plush cushions and an ornate hookah nearby.

In the background, to the right of the odalisque, an African slave stands, dressed in a colorful costume, looking outward from the scene. Her attention is towards the woman seated in the mid-ground to the left of the painting. This woman, who is also elaborately dressed, interplays with the reclining figure not only in gaze but also through her activity, as she is depicted playing a stringed instrument, likely entertaining the odalisque. The meticulous attention to the textiles, patterns, and the interior architecture accentuates the Neoclassical precision and the Orientalist fascination with detail and otherness.

The interior setting is defined by geometric patterned flooring, a rich array of decorative balustrades, and luxurious furnishing, all contributing to a sense of opulence and exotic fantasy. The use of light and shadow along with the brilliant rendering of texture and fabric demonstrates Ingres’s mastery of his medium. The artwork engenders a narrative that transcends its own time, an exploration of the fantasies and aesthetic ideals interpreted by a nineteenth-century European artist who was intrigued by the allure of the oriental world.

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